horrorfandomcom-20200223-history
Richard Chapman
Richard "Ricky" Caldwell (originally Chapman) is a villain from the Silent Night, Deadly Night series of films, appearing in the first installment as a minor character, in the second and third as the main antagonist, and in the fourth in a cameo appearance. Biography Childhood Ricky was born in 1970 in the state of Utah, the son of Jim and Ellie Chapman and the younger brother of Billy. On Christmas Eve in 1971, the newborn Ricky and his family pay a visit to the institutionalized Grandpa Chapman before heading home when it starts to grow dark. At a turn off, the family encounter a criminal dressed as Santa Claus, who shoots Jim to death before trying to rape Ellie, who the man kills by cutting her throat when she tries to fight him off. Crying in the passenger seat of the Chapman's car during this ordeal, Ricky and Billy (who had survived due to running and hiding) are left on the deserted road to die by the Santa, who quickly flees the scene. Found and rescued at some point, Ricky and Billy are placed in St. Mary's Orphanage, which is run by the tyrannical Mother Superior. Too young to fully remember the deaths of his parents Ricky grows up normal and happy, while the traumatized Billy is continually bullied by Mother Superior, who views him as a problem child. By 1984 a drunken Billy snaps and goes on a killing spree dressed as Santa, murdering people he deems naughty with a variety of weaponry. During the panic caused by Billy being on the loose Father O'Brien (who was to play Santa at the orphanage) is shot to death right in front of Ricky (splattering him with blood) by a police officer, who thought O'Brien was Billy. After the killing of Father O'Brien the children are all kept inside by Mother Superior, who tries to keep them occupied while the police hunt for Billy. When Billy manages to get inside the orphanage and prepares to strike down Mother Superior with an axe he is shot and killed by the recently arrived Captain Richards. After staring down at his dead brother and the bloody axe he dropped Ricky glares at Mother Superior and states "Naughty!" in a threatening manner, indicating that he's after revenge. The second Santa Claus Killer After Billy's death, St. Mary's closes down and Ricky is adopted by the Rosenbergs, who are told of Ricky's troublesome past and are advised to avoid celebrating Christmas. Having a fairly average upbringing Ricky, after Morty (Ricky's stepfather) dies, grows introverted and distant, spending his time wandering the woods for hours. Over time, Ricky starts to become unhinged and like his brother, begins killing those he views as naughty, starting with a would-be rapist in the woods and a loan shark in an alley behind his workplace. Ricky's psychosis is placated when he meets a girl named Jennifer Statson by chance and the two of them begin dating, with Ricky viewing Jennifer as the only thing he truly loves. While out for a walk one day, Ricky and Jennifer are harassed by Jennifer's ex-boyfriend Chip, who mocks and demeans Jennifer, enraging Ricky, who kills Chip by electrocuting him and moments later Jennifer by choking her with the car's antenna when she goes into hysterics and begins screaming at him. After Jennifer's death, an arriving officer tries to arrest Ricky, only to be killed with his own gun. With the officer's gun, Ricky goes on a shooting spree in a suburban neighborhood, laughing maniacally and firing indiscriminately, murdering three more people. When cornered by the police, Ricky tries to shoot himself. Unfortunately for him, he realizes that he's all out of bullets. Arrested and institutionalized, Ricky, while in confinement, is visited one Christmas Eve by Dr. Henry Bloom, the thirteenth psychiatrist to try and analyze him. Aloof during his entire session with the doctor, Ricky tells him about his past, murdering Bloom afterward by strangling him with tape recorder tape. Escaping the institution, Ricky kills a Salvation Army Santa and steals his costume, finds Mother Superior (who appears to be older than she was in the first film)’s phone number phone book and calls and taunts her by saying, "Santa's back!" before heading off to the old nun's house. Breaking into Mother Superior’s home (similar to The Shining), Ricky manages to kill her by decapitating her with his axe, and puts it back on while trying to take all the blood out. A short while later, Ricky is cornered by the police, sustaining two gunshots to the chest and a shotgun blast to the stomach (which knocks him through a solid glass door) before being stopped. Return Left in a coma, Ricky's damaged head is repaired by Dr. Newbury, who replaces Ricky's skullcap with one made of plastic and metal (which exposes Ricky's brain and its fluids). Inert for six years, Ricky is awakened by a blind and psychic teenager named Laura Anderson, who Doctor Newbury was using to try and communicate with Ricky. Killing two hospital employees and acquiring a knife Ricky follows Laura to her grandmother's, using their mental link to learn where she is going. Getting a vehicle, clothes and gas from a trucker and gas station attendant he murders Ricky reaches Granny Anderson's first, murdering her and hiding the old woman's body in the basement. When Laura, her brother Chris and his girlfriend Jerri arrive Ricky remains hidden for some time before making himself known to the group, sabotaging their car and cutting the phone lines. When the trio try to run Ricky injures Chris and, before he can chase after Laura and Jerri, is distracted by the recently arrived Doctor Newbury, who tries pacifying him. Newbury's peaceful approach fails and Ricky fatally wounds him, heading back to Granny Anderson's in search of Laura and Jerri afterward. Breaking inside, Ricky kills Jerri and chases Laura into the basement, where she tries to attack him with a stick, only to be easily disarmed. As Ricky strangles Laura he is attacked by the recovered Chris, who shoots Ricky in the shoulder with a shotgun. Wounded but still dangerous Ricky chokes Chris to death with the shotgun and, when he tries to lunge at Laura, is impaled by a stick she thrusts his stomach. When the police arrive Ricky, against all odds, is still alive and loaded into an ambulance by paramedics, who muse that they might be able to save him. As Ricky is driven off he appears in a vision of Laura, stating "... And Happy New Year" when Laura wishes an officer a Merry Christmas. References Category: Males Category: Villains